Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport signs agreement with Sao Paulo-Guarulhos Airport to establish pharma trade lane

Memorandum of Understanding to establish a first pharma trade lane signed between Rome Fiumicino airport and San Paolo Guarulhos airport. CREDIT: PharmacomItalia

Sao Paulo-Guarulhos (GRU) Airport is the main cargo hub in South America, while Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport (FCO) serves as an important international cargo transport hub in Italy to major global markets, facilitated by the airport’s extensive direct connectivity. The two airport operators therefore aim to share a common vision and engage in strategic collaboration to boost traffic, business and cargo flows through their individual hubs, with the aim of developing regional cargo ecosystems.

In this respect, the creation and development of flows of pharmaceutical goods — a high-value commodity category — is an important opportunity for establishing a new end-to-end logistics chain that ensures compliance with the highest quality and safety standards throughout the entire supply chain process, from the supplier to the end customer, in order to protect the integrity of the products.

Memorandum of Understanding to establish a first pharma trade lane signed between Rome Fiumicino airport and San Paolo Guarulhos airport. CREDIT: PharmacomItalia

To this end, the parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding at the end of December 2023 with the aim of establishing a “certified pharmaceutical trade lane” (Pharma Trade Lane), serving the sector and the respective industries located in each other’s catchment areas. The respective airport operators mutually agreed that they will extend participation in the Pharma Trade Lane, along with the involvement of the most relevant businesses operating within the pharmaceutical logistics chain (e.g. air carriers, handlers, shipping agents, pharmaceutical manufacturers, etc.). Access to the community and related promotional and communication efforts will target companies and players certified under Pharma CEIV IATA, as well as all companies qualified according to the EU GDP criteria (European Union guidelines on pharmaceutical product logistics management).

Both parties will therefore jointly promote the growth of new and developing cargo flows between the two regions, and will engage in marketing and promotion activities, exploring new markets and expanding these efforts, as well as engaging all the above-mentioned players and stakeholders involved in the logistics chain in a systemic cooperation effort.

At the same time, the cooperation between the two airports will include activities such as scouting and exchanging information on technical topics related to logistics facilities, security services, cargo handling mechanisms and procedures, digitisation and sustainability issues.

The initiation of these discussions follows a strategic programme initiated by Aeroporti di Roma to develop the main relevant cargo flows for the catchment area in Rome and the country as a whole.

The pharmaceutical sector represents excellence within Lazio’s production and industrial fabric. The entire airport community in Fiumicino received the highest Pharma CEIV IATA certification in June 2019, confirming the high standards of quality and safety in the logistics management of pharmaceutical products, which are upheld by the main stakeholders who work at the airport.

This agreement with Sao Paulo GRU airport is part of the ongoing cooperation between ADR and major airport operators worldwide, relaunching an active collaboration with leading operators dedicated to the development of the pharmaceutical sector, such as BCUBE Air Cargo.

Lastly, Aeroporti di Roma’s membership in PharmacomItalia, beginning in 2023, will facilitate the development of an extensive network of collaborative activities directly benefiting the main national players in pharmaceutical logistics, with the hope for potential expansion to additional markets and partners in the future.